The Empire transported the audience to the Mughal era, showing them the rise of Babur, played by Kunal Kapoor. While the ever-dependable Shabana Azmi walked away with the lion’s share of praise, all eyes are now on Aditya Seal, who played Humayun in the Disney+ Hotstar series. The actor will presumably headline the next edition, which will be based on Alex Rutherford’s second book in Empire Of The Moghul series, Brothers At War.

Seal has effortlessly switched from his role as urbane chocolate boy in Student Of The Year 2 to donning a period character. “I did not approach Humayun as the successor to the throne. The show sees him in his younger years, and he is still naive. He eventually becomes more aware of the responsibility on his shoulders. I treated him as a young boy,” he says, pointing out how the fight sequence at the market place displays his naiveté.

In the week since the Nikkhil Advani-backed series dropped online, Seal says he has been bombarded with messages. He considers the show his long-awaited breakthrough. “I have never worked on a period project. I slowly understood the magnitude of the show. The grandeur on set was so consuming that as an actor, you get into the zone. Working with Nikkhil has been inspiring. The show makes people realise that there’s a lot more to me. That action sequence is based on prep. I am a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo. I need to keep showing my range gradually.”

But, the series’ last few episodes aren’t without faults. The show has been criticized for casting 22-year-old Sahher Bambba as the on-screen mother to 33-year-old Seal. The actor admits he had his share of concerns. “But Mitakshara [Kumar, director] said it’s not a [cause for] worry as I wouldn’t stand next to her in too many scenes. The scenes in which I am with her, the ageing of her character does show,” he defends, before quipping, “To be honest, my mother can pass off as my sister.”

When the makers of Indoo Ki Jawani saw Aditya Seal in Student Of The Year 2 (2019), they knew they had found their hero. But they worried whether an actor, who played such a glamorous part in SOTY 2, would fit into their film. "This is a much rustic character," begins Seal, who stars opposite Kiara Advani in the comedy. "Director Abir (Sengupta) had his vision and knew exactly what he wanted. It was the happiest set I have ever been on. It's so integral to setting the tone in a comedy. The film isn't slapstick but is more of a comedy of errors. It contributes towards cinema if the humour is beyond baseless. Cinema should have depth and a social slant. I am all for entertainment but movies should give people something to think about."

The trailer left everyone wondering whether Seal plays a Pakistani character. "That's a well-guarded secret," he laughs. Unfortunately though, soon after the promo dropped, a section of netizens attacked the film, claiming that it highlighted a Pakistani man-Indian woman romance. "Till the time one hasn't watched the film, what are they commenting about really? People have seen 2 minutes of a 2-hour long film and they've judged the entire film. This is the stereotype that we are attempting to break with the film. The core of the movie is about how we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. To play Samar, I had to defeat my own conditioning and stop judging the world on mere appearances. Everybody has been through a lot this year. When I saw the movie's trailer, I found it refreshing. I have myself been through a lot this year and the film's glimpses have made me smile, given me hope. I wish people could start to lighten up a little. I have a problem when people pass judgements just because they have a mouthpiece given."

The actor has had a rough year, having lost his father to Coronavirus in September. Taking a cue from the words of Meghan Markle, we ask him the one question that we were evading: Is he okay? "No, I am not okay. I don't know how I am coping. Honestly, now that I reflect upon the last few months, I don't know how we got by that. My heart kept saying that I should pause. I wanted to stop and process my grief. But it felt like I don't have the option to. I grew up before I wanted to. There are a lot of responsibilities on my head so I have to keep going. Once my worries are over, will the enormity of what has happened sink in."

Actor Aditya Seal, who was seen in Tum Bin 2 (2016) and Student Of The Year 2 (2019), lost his father, Ravi Seal, to Coronavirus recently. A few days later, he dived deep into work to distract himself from the loss he had suffered. After completing the patchwork for a forthcoming film, the actor is busy prepping for choreographer Bosco Martis’ directorial debut Rocket Gang.

“For the first 15 days, it didn’t sink in that I would no longer get to see my father. It took more than a fortnight to come to terms with this loss. My sister and mom were miserable, but I had to hold fort. One night, it suddenly hit me that I will never really see my dad again. That’s when I broke down and would often cry, but only when I would be alone. On the sets, I tried not to think about it. I would never have liked to feel like a grown-up man this way,” says Aditya.

Aditya says that it was his father’s work ethic that inspired him to return to the set soon after the personal loss. He shares, “It was difficult to deal with losing my father suddenly, but I knew that he would have wanted me to get back to work. He started working at 14 and worked till the age of 61. Wherever we are in life, is because he worked hard for it. I hope to be as relentless towards work as he was. I have a lot more responsibility towards my mother and sister now. My mother has been a homemaker all her life. Suddenly, her world has changed. I plan to help her be a little more independent, starting with working on brushing up her driving skills and teaching her net banking. I want her to feel confident about managing these things on her own.”

While on set, Aditya is extremely cautious and ensures that people around him, too, take the pandemic seriously. He says, “My father was doing well, but suddenly his condition worsened in the last three days. Whenever I am on the set, I am a lot more cautious, because I don’t want to put anyone’s health at risk. I carry four sanitisers, two masks, gloves, the works... I ensure that I follow all the precautionary measures. In fact, I didn’t go back home when I was shooting. I stayed elsewhere, so that people at home would be safe.”

Aditya Seal has come a long way from the teenager played Manisha Koirala's who admirer in Ek Chhotisi Love Story. The 28-year-old guy sitting before us bears only a faint resemblance to the cute boy in the 2002 film. Emotionally too, he has wisened up. Aditya admits that like his character in Tum Bin 2, he has also seen it all - failure, heartbreak and the agony of unexpressed love. As the actor gears up for another innings in Bollywood, BT catches up with him for a candid chat. Excerpts...

Why did you choose acting instead of joining your family business?
I hoped to be a cricketer, but an injury killed my dreams. My father has produced and acted in a Garhwali film, so in a way, he opened the doors of this profession for me. He tried to induct me into our family business, but it didn't interest me.

You joined the business?
Yes, but I was unproductive. I'd just watch videos on my laptop, chat with my uncles and leave. I wanted to be in a profession that gave me an adrenaline rush. Also, my father never forced me to join the business. He wanted me to pursue whatever made me happy. My mother was a bit insecure then, but is supportive now.

People recall you as Manisha Koirala's teenaged admirer from Ek Chhotisi Love Story (2002)...
The film was ahead of its time, but people do recall it. I once met Anil Kapoor, and shyly told him that I'm a huge fan. Since he has worked with Manishaji, I thought I should tell him that I have also done a film with her. When I told him about Ek Chhotisi Love Story, he said, “You're that guy!", in his usual excited tone.

Was it tough for you in school after that film?
People in school did talk about the film, but it didn't affect me. I was just a kid, I didn't know anything. It's only after going to college that I realised what had happened.

Didn't your parents object to Ek Chotisi Love Story?
My family did not get the time to make enquiries about the film. I auditioned for the role, and 24 hours later, I was informed that I had been selected. I was asked to report to the set the next day itself. I had no clue about what was being shot, but I was never exposed to anything that wasn't suitable for my age. In fact, I was kept away when the bold scenes were shot. I've not met Manishaji after that, but I felt sad when I heard about her battle against cancer.

Did you try connecting with her?
I did, but failed. Manishaji and I had only six scenes together. I remember, there was a scene where my character slits his wrist and she comes to see him. Since there was time for her to come on the set, I went off to sleep on the bed where we were supposed to shoot the scene.When I opened my eyes, I saw her sitting in front of me, with a pigtail and no make-up. I've never seen a more beautiful woman in my life.

After that, you returned as the second lead in Purani Jeans (2014) and now, Tum Bin 2...
Purani Jeans didn't click, and so, I didn't expect to get selected for Tum Bin 2. Why would anyone bet their money on me when my films haven't worked? I gave three rounds of auditions for Tum Bin 2, and botched up the last round because I went over-prepared. Then one day, Anubhav (Sinha, director) sir called me and said that I might land the role. Later, he took me to Bhushan Kumar's office, and we inked the deal there. I took the contract and headed to Shirdi with my family to thank God.

How did you deal with failure so early on in your career?
Though Purani Jeans didn't do well, I was praised for my work and I expected good offers to come my way. But when that didn't happen, it pulled me down for a while. There were times when I needed friends to cheer me up. My mother suggested that I join the family business, but that didn't help. On some days, I would just sit in my room, watch movies and ponder about what had gone wrong. Eventually, I spoke to my well wishers and we decided to start from scratch. The plan was to look for the kind of roles played by Aditya Roy Kapur - pivotal characters, though not the lead. I was deeply hurt when I couldn't even find those. I stopped moving around for a bit, but then channeled my energies into training for taekwondo and B-Boying. And then, Tum Bin 2 came my way.

Most romantic films these days have intimate scenes, but the promo of Tum Bin 2 looks like an exception...
It's an emotional film about the kind of love that is felt, but never expressed. There are many heavy moments in the film, many dilemmas that our characters face. But we've not shot some thing that is remotely suggestive, because in stories like these, emotions do what physical proximity doesn't. We couldn't let anything go over board, not even something like touching my co star Neha Sharma's cheeks.

Isn't repeating the success of Tum Bin a tall order?
Yes, it's a huge benchmark. The names of the actors, the songs and scenes of that film are often quoted to us. I was really small when Tum Bin released, but when I saw it after signing this film, I realised why people still remember it. It's a bit unnerving, but I hope we're at least a patch over the old film.

Did you tap into your own experiences while emoting on screen?
I didn't, but like my character, I have also felt strongly for a girl and I know she too had feelings for me. However, neither of us said anything. This was about 10 years ago. So, I know how it feels to love someone and not say it. The first time I touched her was when she hugged me at her birthday party. I felt weak in the knees. I've never felt that way about anyone. Can you believe it, I still remember her phone number by heart.

You're such a hopeless romantic!
I haven't kept in touch with her. It's an incomplete story and I want it to stay that way. Several girls came into my life after her, but that spark was missing. I don't know if she and I will feel the same way if we meet again. I treasure that old feeling and so, that story is best left incomplete.

How do you react when girls hit on you?
I feel shy. When they pay me a compliment, I run away, though ideally, I should be complimenting them in return. I'm not good with that.

What are your plans after Tum Bin 2?
I'm figuring out. Right now, Tum Bin 2 is the focus.